Religious services
Saraha Buddhist Center
San Francisco Buddhist Center
Richmond Torah Center- Chabad
Protestant:
Mission Minyan
Magain David Sephardim Congregation
First Baptist Church of San Francisco
Vietnamese Buddhist Association of San Francisco
Reality SF
St. Dominic's Church
Catholic churches:
Sokoji-Soto Zen Buddhist Temple
Nichiren Hokke Buddhist Temple
Chinese Buddhist Monastery
Congregation Chevra Thilim
Chabad of Noe Valley
Episcopal:
Adath Israel
Buddhism:
St. Patrick
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints:
Golden Gate Ward
Grace Cathedral
Choral Eucharist This service is webcast live every Sunday.
City Church of San Francisco
Jewish:
Keneseth Israel
Consulates
China, People's Republic of
Hospitals
Pacific Campus
The main campus of the CPMC system, in Pacific Heights.
Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center
In the Western Addition.
Saint Francis Memorial Hospital
A Catholic hospital in Nob Hill.
San Francisco General Hospital
The only Level I Trauma Center serving San Francisco, in the Mission district.
California Campus
The Woman's and Children's Center, in Western Addition.
California Pacific Medical Center
CPMC is one of the main health providers here, with four separate campuses:
Parnassus Campus
An expansive campus, covering a six block area and with a large Children's Hospital.
St. Mary's Medical Center
A Catholic hospital in Western Addition.
Davies Campus
In the Castro area.
Mount Zion Campus
The main facility, in the Western Addition.
St. Luke's Campus
As with many other major cities in the world, San Francisco has its share of problems. A search for "People Behaving Badly" on YouTube will reveal local KRON 4 reporter Stanley Roberts' varied and sometimes comical segments on aggressive panhandling, distracted drivers, fare evasion, and most famously "Elmo Shirt Guy" who became an internet-meme in his own right and was featured on Jimmy Kimmel. The good news is that as a visitor to San Francisco, though you may occasionally encounter people behaving badly, with a dash of common sense its unlikely you'll be the target of any crime or violence.
The areas that one should be most cautious are in the neighborhoods of Bayview-Hunters Point, Visitacion Valley, Sunnydale, Ingleside, and Potrero Hill in Southeast San Francisco, as well as the Tenderloin, parts of Western Addition including the Fillmore District, and parts of the Mission. San Francisco is still susceptible to violent crime, and most of these murders occur in the southeast, less economically fortunate, neighborhoods of the city. Gang violence touches even busy and thriving areas such as the Mission Street retail corridor, although most instances of violent crime are directed to specific targets and are not random acts. The SoMa district used to be somewhat dangerous; however, recent gentrification something that has become fairly common and a social issue in SF has transformed it into a rather hip and much safer neighborhood with plenty of art galleries and clubs. However, it is best to be careful even now.
San Francisco also has the largest homeless population per capita in the United States. If someone begs from you, you may either politely say you do not have any change or just keep walking, and he or she will generally leave you alone. The main homeless area is around 6th and Market, heading towards the Civic Center, and in the Tenderloin. Haight Ashbury also has lots of panhandlers, and the area near Golden Gate Park at the end of Haight Street near McDonalds is notorious for junkies and should be avoided at night.
Pickpocketing, purse snatching, and other forms of petty crime are common as with any other large city. Be especially cautious on crowded Muni trains and buses, in heavily touristed areas such as Fisherman's Wharf, and during the busy holiday shopping season.
Do not leave valuables in your vehicle, especially when parking on public streets. Car break-ins are very common in San Francisco, and any valuables in plain sight are in danger of being stolen. During your visit, you will probably see small piles of broken glass on sidewalks throughout the city, which are the result of such crimes. If you cannot carry all valuables with you, try to keep them in the trunk and park your vehicle in secure parking garages, which are slightly safer than street parking but are not completely free from crime either.
Be careful to check for ticks after hiking in fields in the Bay Area. There is a high rate of lyme disease transmission in the Bay Area. If a bulls' eye rash develops at the tick bite site, immediately seek medical help and treatment with antibiotics.
talk
English is the dominant language spoken in San Francisco. Cantonese is spoken by some citizens of San Francisco's large Chinese population, with an increasing Mandarin-speaking minority. Spanish is also commonly spoken in San Francisco, although not as common as in the rest of California.
respect
San Francisco prides itself on its openness to diversity in race, gender, sexual orientation and personal style. This trait is widely considered to be one of the defining features of the city, and it draws both visitors and transplants alike.
Smokers beware: as in the rest of California, smoking is illegal in bars, restaurants, and other public places. Bay Area people can be particularly vocal about your personal habits. Be aware of nonsmoking areas, and try to be courteous about smoking in other places. They will probably not bother you about standing and smoking outside a restaurant or bar.
On the other hand, smoking marijuana is remarkably well-tolerated. If you are visiting from elsewhere in the U.S., you may be very surprised to find that marijuana is not considered to be a problem by San Franciscans, and even by the city's police. While still illegal under federal law, a law was passed in 2006 officially making marijuana the lowest priority for the SFPD. This does not mean that you should smoke marijuana just anywhere -- as with cigarettes, it is considered improper etiquette to smoke marijuana in crowded areas.
It's worth mentioning that natives tend to dislike many of the nicknames given to their city. Instead of saying "San Fran" or "Frisco," most refer to San Francisco by its full name, "SF", or "The City."
contact
The area code for San Francisco is 415. You need to only dial the seven digit phone number for calls within the city. For calls within the US or Canada, dial 1+area code+number, and for international calls, dial 011+country code+city codeif applicable+number. Pay phones are getting less and less commonplace as nearly everyone in San Francisco has a mobile phone. When you do find one, keep in mind that they only take coins and phone cards with a dial-to-use number. Local calls start at $0.50.
To get online, internet cafes are available at a sprinkling of city center locations. Many coffee houses and cafes also offer wireless connection for free or a small fee. Free access is available in Union Square. For a more scenic place to check your email try the Apple Store on Stockton at Ellis near Market in Union Square or any of the many public libraries, especially the main branch on Market near Civic Center station.
Additionally, those traveling with laptop computers will often find an open free signal across the city which is being deployed by a company called Meraki. The "Free the Net" signal is unlocked and free to use.
Blue mailboxes for mail such as letters and postcards are on many street corners. USPS post offices sell stamps and ship packages, and several private companies provide additional services.